The D.A. information

Character actor Harry Morgan, beloved for his roles on both M*A*S*H and Dragnet, has died at the age of 96. He passed away at his home in Los Angeles from unknown causes but had recently been treated for pneumonia. His son Charles, a lawyer in Los Angeles, confirmed his death.

Born Harry Bratsberg in Detroit, he worked on stage before making his way to Hollywood in 1942. He originally used the screen name Henry Morgan but changed it to Harry in the 1950s to avoid confusion with radio’s Henry Morgan. He appeared in more than 100 films throughout his career, often playing bad guys and sidekicks.

On the small screen, he played numerous guest roles and was a regular on several TV shows, including Pete and Gladys, December Bride, The Richard Boone Show, Kentucky Jones, The D.A., Hec Ramsey, and Blacke’s Magic. He was most recognized however for his work on two other series; Dragnet and M*A*S*H.

On Dragnet, he played Officer Bill Gannon as slightly less-serious cop when compared to Jack Webb’s always-by-the-book Sgt. Joe Friday. He returned to role as Captain Bill Gannon in the 1987 film comedy Dragnet, opposite Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks.